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Health Benefits of Peanuts

Introduction

Peanut, which has scientific name “Arachis hypogeal” is a small dicotyledonous herb produced annually and consumed as food or snack. It is planted through seedling and developed through self-pollination into ovaries to form peanut pod. Peanut is believed to have originated from Central America to spread to other continents. The nut is now widely found in India, China, Africa, and other nations of the world.

Peanuts are thought to be nut; however, it belongs to the family of legume in relation to soy, lentils, and beans. Varieties of products are made from peanut, and they include peanut flour, peanut oil, peanut butter and peanut protein to be used as ingredients in foods such as cakes, snacks, desserts, sauces, and confectionery.

Peanuts are rich in fat, protein, Vitamin E, folate, and other essential healthy nutrients that provide medicinal benefits to the body. Peanuts have been studied to help treat many health problems such weight loss, skin problems, hair problems like hair loss, memory loss, diabetes, cancers, and much more. Peanuts are usually consumed dry roasted, boiled, salted, and rarely raw. They are also called varieties of names such as groundnut, monkey nut, earthnut, goober peas or pignut.

Nutritional Values of Peanuts

Peanuts are equipped with numerous nutritional values similar to most of the essential nuts that mainly contain fats and protein. 1 oz of Peanut (according to USDA National Nutrient Database) has the following key nutritional values:

168 calories

2.6 g of fibre

4.9 g of protein

7.2 g of carbs

14.6 g of fat

1.3 g of sugar

10 Health Benefits of Peanuts

When it comes to health benefits of peanuts or other leguminous nuts, the list is long and may not be discussed in just one article for a better understanding of their numerous benefits. Peanuts are an essential nutritional source in some underdeveloped and developing countries due to their numerous nutrients. Below are the key health benefits of peanuts:

Prevents diabetes: A recent study has shown that peanut is equipped with an essential nutrient such as manganese to help minimize the risk of diabetes disease by 21%. Manganese plays a vital role in blood sugar regulation, calcium absorption, and fat and carbs metabolism. ( Click here to know about Natural Ayurvedic Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction in Diabetes )

Prevent gallstones: Regular consumption of peanuts helps in putting gallstones at bay. Studies have shown that weekly consumption of 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1 oz of peanut is capable of reducing the chances of gallstones or gallbladder by 25%.

For heart health: Peanuts contain high levels of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats which are helpful for a healthy heart. They are also equipped with oleic acid and poly-phenolic antioxidant to help lower bad cholesterol or LDL, enhance good cholesterol level, and prevent any forms of heart diseases such as corollary artery disease as well as stroke by improving the profile of healthy blood lipid. ( Click Here for Increased Cholesterol and Erectile Dysfunction )

Prevents cancer: The high concentration of beta-sitosterol (SIT), a phytosterol form, helps prevent cancer by hindering tumor growth in the body. This has been discovered to be more helpful in women than men. Research has shown that a consumption of peanuts two times in a week is capable of reducing the risk of getting cancer by 27% and 58% in men and women respectively.

Helps in pregnancy: Due to its high concentration of folate, peanut is studied to help women in pregnancy. The studies showed that pregnant women who eat 400 g of folic acid either before or during their early stage tend to reduce the development of having a baby with neural tube defect with a reduction rate of 70%. Apart from this, consumption of peanuts during pregnancy reduces the chances of allergic diseases such as asthma in children. (Click here for Losing Weight After Pregnancy-An Ayurvedic Way )

Helps brain health: These nuts are referred to as “brain food” due to their concentration of vitamin B3 or niacin which has been found helpful in boosting memory and help the brain function optimally. Peanuts are equipped with flavonoid which aids and boosts the flow of blood to the brain.

Helps in weight management: Protein, fat, and fibre contained in peanuts have been found helpful in minimizing the risk of weight gain. These essential nutrients make peanuts a high satiety food, keeping you full and satisfied for longer period; hence, lowering your appetite to prevent overeating. They also give energy and increase your metabolic rate. Peanuts combine all these attributes together to help in weight management. (Click here for Weight Loss Ayurvedic Remedy Kit )

Promotes hair loss: Peanuts are an excellent source of vitamin C, a nutrient that enhances collagen production for keeping hair tissues together. They also have L-arginine which is used as a remedy for male pattern baldness and omega-3 fatty acids which help strengthen hair follicles for healthy hair growth. ( Click Here for Ten Ayurvedic Tips to increase Healthy Hair Growth )

Flushes out excess toxins for healthy skin: Peanuts are equipped with healthy monounsaturated fats resveratrol which is essential for a clear, flawless, and glowing skin by flushing out toxins that result in excess oil and breakouts on the skin. Another skin benefit of peanuts is their composition of anti-aging and antioxidant properties. Nutrients such as vitamin E and vitamin C help in preventing aging symptoms such as fine lines, spots, and wrinkles, and keeping the skin healthy and younger. (Read Ayurvedic Daily Detox at Home for Weight Loss )

Promotes healthy growth: The amino acids found in proteins contained in peanuts promote healthy growth and development. This benefit has been found useful mostly in children growth according to some studies.

Conclusion

On a final note, having considered the health benefits of peanuts, it appears that consumption of peanuts is unavoidable. The benefits are not limited to the above, but it is worthy of mentioning that peanut fat and oil-free peanut flour according to studies, have the ability to lower bad cholesterol and have been found to offer protective effects to the heart.

Another significant advantage of peanuts is that they are affordable to the common man with low income. You don’t need to consume too much of them to enjoy the numerous benefits of peanuts. One or two tablespoon or 1 ounce of peanut is enough to gain all the nutritional values attributed to them. Try it today!

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Dr.Savitha Suri is an ayurvedic Consultant Physician. She has an experience of 26 years in the field of ayurveda. The content is copyrighted to Dr.Savitha Suri and may not be reproduced on other websites. You can contact her for free online ayurvedic consultations at drsavithasuri@gmail.comFollow Dr. Savitha Suri on Google Plus

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